After Lovie Smith led the Houston Texans to a surprising victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18 and the Chicago Bears lost to the Minnesota Vikings, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft now goes to the Bears. With the emergence of Justin Fields this season, the 2023 Bears NFL draft is now crucial. The team needs to make the best of this pick to secure the future of the franchise. With that in mind, here are the four best things the team can do with the Bears' No. 1 pick, which includes taking Will Anderson Jr., Jalen Carter, or Paris Johnson at the top of the draft or, best of all, not making the pick.

Best options for the Bears' No. 1 pick in 2023 NFL Draft

4. Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia

If the Texans could go back to 2014 — when they had the No. 1 pick in the draft — do you think they’d still take South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney? Nope. They would 100% go with the No. 13 pick, a defensive tackle out of Pittsburgh, Aaron Donald.

Quarterbacks, offensive tackles, and edge-rushers are the only types of players teams consider with the No. 1 pick in the last 20-plus years. In fact, you have to go back to USC WR Keyshawn Johnson to find the last time a team took a player other than a QB, OT, or EDGE at No. 1. That’s why you’ll find Alabama EDGE Will Anderson Jr. and Ohio State OT Paris Johnson below.

Jalen Carter is a different type of DT, though. He is a three-technique in the mold of Donald or Warren Sapp, and he is exactly what the Bears need to get their 32nd-ranked scoring defense back on track. It would be a bold move picking Carter with the Bears’ No. 1 Pick, but it could pay off in a huge way.

3. Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State

The Bears (frankly) screwed up last year’s draft by not taking an offensive player to help Justin Fields until the third round (WR Velus Jones) and not taking an offensive lineman to protect him until the fifth (OT Braxton Jones).

In the 2023 NFL Draft, general manager Ryan Poles can atone for that by using the No. 1 pick to take the best foundational tackle in the draft. Right now, that seems like Ohio State’s Paris Johnson.

The former Buckeye is a mountain of a man at 6-foot-6, 315 pounds, who also has versatility, starting at guard in 2021. That gives him a high floor if nothing else, and if he turns into a decade-plus bookend tackle, he’s worthy of the Bears' No. 1 Pick this year.

2. Will Anderson Jr., EDGE, Alabama

Since the 2023 Bears NFL draft doesn’t have to revolve around finding a QB, they can simply take the best player overall with the No. 1 pick. This year, that player is Alabama EDGE Will Anderson Jr.

Anderson is as versatile as a pass-rusher as he is unblockable. He put up 27.5 sacks in the last two seasons and 48 tackles for a loss. He can play with his hand in the dirt as a 4-3 end or as a stand-up pass-rushing outside linebacker in a 3-4. He can also twist and stunt to rush up the middle when needed.

Overall, Anderson is the highest-graded player by nearly every draft expert in the 2023 NFL Draft and deserves to be the Bears' No. 1 pick. If the team ends up making a selection with the first pick, Will Anderson Jr. is the best option.

1. Trade the pick

All that said above, the best Bears NFL draft option in 2023 is to not make the No. 1 pick at all.

The NFL is a quarterback-driven league in 2023, and the Bears have their franchise guy in Justin Fields. That means they don’t need to take Bryce Young or CJ Stroud at No. 1, but they should take advantage of the teams that are desperate to do so.

Moving back just three spots to No. 4 in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts could not only net the Bears a slew of future picks, but it could also allow the team to draft the players they most covet anyway. If the Colts and Texans take QBs after a Bears No. 1 pick trade, Will Anderson Jr. might now be there at No. 4, but both Jalen Carter and Paris Johnson will, and that would be huge for Chicago in the 2023 NFL Draft.